


Following Orders

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Series: Talon!Damian AU [1]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-29
Updated: 2015-06-29
Packaged: 2018-04-06 20:19:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4235250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was the hood. It was that ridiculous tongue click. That’s what gave him away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Following Orders

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t know why Talon!Damian isn’t more of a thing, because that would be awesome. I wish I did the idea justice.

It wasn’t the small frame or lethal skills. It wasn’t the knee-high boots or the ability to hide seamlessly in the shadows.

It was the hood. It was that ridiculous tongue click. That’s what gave him away.

His goggles had been pushed to the top of his head when his hood fell. He blinked blankly, head turning curiously to the side.

“The Court of Owls has sentenced you to die, Batman.” He repeated for the fourth time. It was the only thing he would say, even as he hesitated when Bruce threw out things the child should remember.

Bruce couldn’t move. He would _not_ hurt his son. Even in this brainwashed state, he _refused_. Dick was the same, but he wasn’t going to let that force him to keep his distance.

“Damian, _please_.” He whispered, taking a step forward. “You know me, right? Think really hard. We lived together. We fought monsters together.”

“Batman must die.” Damian said evenly. He blinked once, slowly. “All Batmen.”

“You remember.” Dick went to take another step forward, but Bruce took his shoulder. “Come on, Damian. I know you’ve got this.”

Damian didn’t react. Instead, he just unsheathed the sword from his back. Bruce felt his heart breaking. This was his son, but it _wasn’t_. It was a shell of his former self. A shell of the young boy they all loved.

“You’ve got this, buddy.” Dick continued, pulling against Bruce’s hand. His voice had taken a desperate tone. “Just take a deep breath, think it through.”

Damian remained silent, shifting forward. Suddenly he was running, bouncing off the wall to Bruce’s left, sword slashing downwards. Bruce held up his gauntlet, taking the force of the blade and throwing the boy back. Dick let out a gasp of despair from next to him.

Damian landed on his side, grunting as the sword slipped from his grasp. Dick shook Bruce off, racing towards him. But before he reached the child, a barrage of knives came flying from the rooftops. Dick jumped back, watching as the blades embedded themselves into the concrete. That gave Damian the moment he needed. He rolled, taking the sword back up and rising to his feet.

“No need to continue, Talon.” A voice echoed. Dick’s head shot up to see another person on the fire escape. His armor was a lighter gray, almost blue in the moonlight, surrounding a black bodysuit. There was a smooth silver mask across his face.

Bruce felt his heartbreak give way to fury. _“You.”_

“And who else would it be, dear _brother_?” Owlman – Lincoln, Thomas – asked, amusement in his voice. “You never told me I had a nephew.”

“You’re not my brother.” Bruce hissed. “He is not your family.”

“The Court of Owls has sentenced you to die.” Damian repeated, stepping up to the wall of knives between he and Dick.

“What did you do to him?” Dick shouted angrily. “What the _hell_ did you do?!”

“Simple technique, really.” Owlman shrugged. “The Court would love to show you, Mister Grayson.”

“Bite me.” Dick returned.

“Fair enough.” Owlman sighed, almost sadly. “Talon, we’re done here.”

Bruce’s heart clenched. Damian blinked rapidly, confused, and stared up at Owlman. “But…The Court said…”

“Another time. Don’t you worry, you’ll get your chance.” Owlman said soothingly. “Let’s get out of here.”

Damian nodded, replacing the sword in its holster. Slowly, he slid the goggles over his eyes, and the hood across his hair.

“Now wait a damn minute.” Dick started, shifting to move forward. Bruce was instantly at his back, yanking at his arm. Damian’s eyes were blocked now, but face was still blank as he watched them.

“Dick, don’t.” Bruce grunted. He glanced up at Lincoln March, could see the blade hidden in his glove, the way he was watching Damian. One wrong move by Dick or himself and the Owlman would take the child out. “You try anything, and he’ll hurt him.”

“Damian, this isn’t you.” Dick pleaded, leaning against Bruce’s grip. “This was _never_ you. You’re better than this.”

“Come, Talon.” Owlman ordered smugly.

“No…” Dick breathed, watching as Damian turned, and began to climb the fire escape. “No, _Damian_!”

Owlman began to chuckle as the three of them watched Damian dutifully climb.

“You bastard.” Dick hissed, lurching forward. Bruce was forced to grab onto him with two hands. “Give him back. Give him back right now, or I swear on my life I’ll-”

“You’ll what.” Owlman deadpanned. “ _Kill_ me?”

“Come on, Dick.” Bruce’s voice was quiet, shaky as he pulled Dick back. “We can’t help him now.”

“I just might.” Dick snapped at Owlman. Damian had reached his landing and was standing next to him. Bruce tugged Dick backwards once more. Dick fought against his hold, using as much strength as he could. “He isn’t yours to _take_. And you mark my words, I will find you and I _will_ get him back.”

Owlman laughed, resting a hand on Damian’s shoulder. The blade in his fingers glinted in the moonlight, and Bruce felt his mouth go dry. Dick didn’t stop pulling against his hand, reaching for the bottom rung of the fire escape’s ladder. Owlman snapped his fingers and Damian turned, rushing up to the next landing. The villain hesitated, listening to Dick call out Damian’s name over and over, panic rising in every repetition, before spinning and following the Talon to the roof.

“I’d like to see you try.”

**Author's Note:**

> [Other Talon!Damian stories](http://fishfingersandjellybabies.tumblr.com/search/talon%21damian)   
> 


End file.
